Dear Padfoot,
by Alanius
Summary: After a bad year and an almost worse summer at Privet Drive; realizing there is a madman at large out to kill Harry; meeting a large, fluffy black dog that befriends them early on; facing dementors in the castle; and recieving a way-too-early Christmas pr
1. Chapter 1

**DEAR PADFOOT,**

Chapter I  
**Getting out of Here**

"This is _unbelievable_!" ranted Ginny.

"It's all right, really -" responded Harry.

"To make you do that stuff!"

"It's not like it's the first time -"

"Can't they _see_ you're not up to doing chores?"

"I'm not weak, Ginny -"

"Even though we did the exact same thing yesterday!"

"The grass and weeds do grow every day -"

"On your birthday!"

"I - it's my birthday already? Time really does fly," Harry said, confused.

Ginny laughed bitterly. "For you, maybe. I bet this is your best summer ever!" The words were out before she could stop herself, and she instantly regretted it. Harry's downcast look did nothing to improve her mood. "It is, isn't it?" she asked, hating herself for reminding him that her life was so much better than his.

Harry turned to look at Hedwig's empty cage and nodded. "I'm sorry you're not enjoying yourself."

Like so often that summer, Ginny was taken aback by Harry's nobility. Leave it to Harry to care more for Ginny than for himself, to want her to be happy without wanting the same for himself. "Gosh, Harry, that's not the point. The point is you're not enjoying yourself either. And you're not getting better."

"I'm not _weak_, Ginny."

"I know you're not weak," Ginny said for the umpteenth time, "but right now you're not exactly _fit_ either, are you?"

After the events in the Chamber of Secrets, Madam Pomfrey argued against Harry returning to Privet Drive for the summer, on the basis of his need for continued magical care. Dumbledore, unwilling to risk the dissolution of the blood protection Harry's aunt's dwelling provided, was adamant that he return to recharge the blood magic. The solution was for a responsible underage wizard or witch to take care of him while he recovered, as anyone of age would be repelled by the wards if they stayed too long.

Ginny was the underage witch of choice, because she also needed to recover from the events of the past school year - mentally rather than physically. Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore agreed that the reciprocity between Harry and Ginny would be mutually beneficial for their recovery.

Ginny, of course, immediately volunteered for the task, which was to be expected since she owed him an enormous debt of gratitude - a life debt, actually. And not to be overlooked was the entire guilt pit she had succumbed to when the chances of Harry's survival were slimmest.

Mrs Weasley had been less easy to convince. Her natural reflex was to take her daughter home, to her family, for the summer, so she could recover amidst those that loved her most - those that she loved most. However, after seeing her daughter's distress and undivided attention to Harry, days on end, as he lay unconscious in the Hospital Wing, she slowly came to the conclusion that Ginny cared about Harry almost as much as Molly did about her own daughter. In the end, she agreed to let her daughter go home with Harry, conceding the point that the best way for Ginny to get better was to make sure he got better.

"I know you hate those potions," Ginny elaborated, "and I wish you didn't need to take them, but they really do make you better. Madam Pomfrey only has your best interest at heart, you know."

"I know. I just wish my best interest didn't taste so bad. And I wish I could just ... walk up the stairs in less than a minute, or stand up suddenly without getting all dizzy. I wish I didn't have to sleep fourteen hours a day," Harry said, sounding genuinely exhausted even though they'd just woken up.

"I don't wish any of those things on you, Harry, but the only way you're ever going to get better is to accept it - for the time being. Wishing isn't going to help, and moping is just going to get me moody."

"You're right. We should start on getting breakfast ready. Aunt Petunia said she was going to wake Dudley and Uncle Vernon right after her shower."

Harry made to get out of his bed (Ginny was sleeping in a magically inflatable four-poster positioned by the window), but Ginny stopped him. "Nice try, Harry." She handed him his potion with a wry smile.

"Do I really have to?" Harry pleaded.

"Yes," Ginny replied, bored with having the same conversation every day, three times a day. "Why do you even bother asking? It's not like I'm _ever_ going to give in."

"One day you might."

"You saved my life, Harry! The least I can do is make sure you get better.."

Harry downed the potion quickly and handed the empty bottle to Ginny, who put it in the bag. They were to meet Madam Pomfrey that evening as they had met her seven days ago. She would check on Harry and supply Ginny with a new dose of potions. Their contact was limited to once every week; any more than that and Madam Pomfrey would be repelled by the protection around the house.

Harry made to get out of bed. Ginny quickly stood up and offered him her hand to steady him, but he resolutely refused her help (as she knew he would).

When they reached the kitchen downstairs, Ginny turned on her complain engine again as she started laying out plates and cutlery. Harry was content to listen. "You know, we really shouldn't be cooking both breakfast and dinner, next to all the other chores we do; especially since Dudley is doing nothing and stuffs his mouth every chance he gets! And look at you you're barely able to hold a frying pan for more than a minute -"

"I'm not weak, Ginny -"

Ginny stomped her foot for emphasis as she continued her tirade. "And you need your rest more than anything! To make matters worse, they won't even let you have full servings!"

"You know you don't have to help out with the chores if you don't want to," Harry said, restarting the never ending argument.

"Wrong. You're too proud to skip any chores the Dursleys give you - why, I'll never know - and both Madam Pomfrey _and_ my mom will have my ears for dinner if I let you do them on your own in this state."

Harry couldn't deny that if it hadn't been for Ginny the past couple of weeks, he would never have finished his mountain of chores in time to placate the Dursleys. Nevertheless, he felt horrible for imposing his miserable summer on Ginny.

A short time later, the three Dursleys sat in various states of morning-grumpiness. After the scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages were done, Harry distributed them across the five laid out plates and then sat. Ginny started scooping egg and bacon from Dudley's plate to Harry's, effectively evening them out.

"What do you think you are doing?" barked Uncle Vernon.

"Harry is having a full serving," Ginny replied in an ice cold voice. "If Dudley wants more than one, he is free to fry some more bacon and eggs."

"Dudley is a growing boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon.

"I'll fry some more," said Harry, scooting back to stand up.

"SIT!" roared Ginny, fixing a hand on his shoulder to prevent him from standing up. She rounded on Uncle Vernon and smiled sweetly. "Harry is recovering from a life-threatening injury. His nutrition is every bit as important as Dudley's."

"How - dare - you -" spluttered Uncle Vernon. He turned to Harry in rage and said in an ominously low voice, "Oh, you are going to pay, boy, for forcing her onto us. Oh, yes, you're going to wish you had never been born."

"Ginny," Harry pleaded, "just make some more food for Dudley, okay? Please?"

"No, Harry. I'm not someone's slave, and neither are you. And if Dudley really wants more than that, which I doubt, then he's free to use the kitchen himself. There is no problem that we are responsible for, so we shouldn't have to fix it."

"Let's see how I feel after this serving," Dudley said, surprising everybody by defusing a potentially hazardous situation.

The tension in the house had increased steadily since Harry and Ginny had arrived. The pattern was always the same: Ginny would refuse to work like a slave and would even more adamantly refuse to let Harry work like one; Harry would try to placate everyone, and the Dursleys would refuse to accept the change in the status quo. In the end, the Dursleys would give in out of fear of Ginny's dragon taming brother. However, that did nothing to dissolve their continued anger. Ginny, also, was getting more and more enraged by the Dursleys' behavior toward Harry.

The chance that anyone from Ginny's family was going to come to their aid, though, was very small as they were all on vacation in Egypt. Harry and Ginny agreed, however, that if things really spiraled out of control, they would summon Hagrid, who would be delighted to put things right.

"We need to leave," Ginny declared to Madam Pomfrey that evening in the nearby park. "I can't stand it there. It's not good for me, it's not good for them and it sure as Hell is not good for Harry."

"Calm down, Miss Weasley," replied Madam Pomfrey as she received the bag of empty potion bottles and handed Ginny a new one full of lighter-dose potions.

"I can't calm down! Everywhere Harry goes, he is reminded that he is a freak, that he needs to more diligently polish their shoes. They make him do so many chores that, if I didn't help him, he'd be busy on it right from waking till going to bed! I thought you agreed he needed rest!"

"Hey, I'm standing right here," Harry protested.

"I'm afraid the professor was very specific," Madam Pomfrey replied, referring to professor Dumbledore. "Harry needs to spend the summer at home in order to recharge the blood magic."

"What about last year? Ron and the twins came to pick him up right after his birthday, and did the wards fall? No, because then we wouldn't have to be here at all right now! Anyway, what purpose do the wards serve? They supposedly protect him, but do they protect him from his own relatives? What Harry needs right now is a stable environment where he isn't required to work himself to death - an environment where he can _rest_."

"I shall relay your concerns to the headmaster," Madam Pomfrey routinely responded. "For now, why don't you concentrate on your letters?" She handed Harry and Ginny their Hogwarts letters. "Harry, you're recovering slowly, but steadily. If all goes well, you'll be your old self by the time term starts again."

"It'll take that long?" Harry whined, and Ginny couldn't really blame him.

Madam Pomfrey chuckled. "Yes, I'm afraid so. Well, I think it's time for me to leave. I will see you in one week's time. Good day."

"Remember," Ginny said softly but nonetheless clearly. "If things go too far, we're leaving. You can relay that to your sacred headmaster."

Madam Pomfrey merely nodded and Disapparated.

Harry turned back towards the road leading to Privet Drive. He lost his balance and might have fallen, if it wasn't for Ginny who caught his elbow to steady him just in time.

Harry proudly pried his elbow from Ginny's grasp. "I can _walk_, Ginny."

"Good boy."

When they arrived back at number four, (and after finishing an arbitrarily issued chore: cleaning the toilets - for the seventh time in four days) Harry and Ginny retired to his room for the evening. The arrival of Hedwig, Errol and another, unknown bird might have brightened Harry and Ginny's moods, if only they weren't marred by the barging of Uncle Vernon into the room, bringing some bad news.

"Aunt Marge? I - Wha- When?" Harry spluttered.

"Tomorrow morning," replied Uncle Vernon in a low, angry tone, "and I expect you to _behave_ yourself, boy. No mention of your freakishness, no funny business, no hurting Snuggers and no _hanky-panky_. You will stick to the story that you - you and _her_ - are going to St Brutus's Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys and Girls, or else you will rue the day you were born, boy. Is that clear?" Without waiting for a reply, Uncle Vernon left and slammed the door after him.

Harry listened in shock to Uncle Vernon's heavy steps going down the stairs before turning to Ginny. "I - you need to go, Ginny."

Ginny observed him curiously for a few seconds before asking, "Why?"

With a determined tone of voice, Harry stated, "Because."

Ginny rolled her eyes before replying, "Because is not a reason!"

"Aunt Marge, she's - I - you just can't be here ... not when she is."

Ginny had a feeling why he didn't want her to be there. Harry had been most vocal in opposition when he learned that it was arranged for Ginny to spend the summer with him at the Dursleys'. In the end he had given in, but Ginny thought she realized the reason for his reluctance.

"She's as bad as the Dursleys are, isn't she?" She knew she was right when he looked away and sighed. "And you don't want me to see how she treats you, do you?"

"Well, not exactly," Harry admitted. "It's ... I ..."

"You don't want her to treat me the same way?" Ginny's face softened as Harry gave her a pained nod. "Oh, Harry," she sighed as she leaned forward and pulled Harry into a hug. "I'm not going anywhere without you," she whispered into his ear. "You didn't give up on me; I won't give up on you."

***

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, _BAD EGG_?" shouted Ginny on the last evening of Marge's visit. Aunt Marge had been getting steadily more and more drunk and, as a result, more and more under Harry's and Ginny's skin. Memorizing the broomstick servicing kit manual was gradually losing its ability to keep their anger under control and the power of Uncle Vernon's promise to sign Harry's Hogsmeade permission slip was also rapidly waning. "Lily Potter was a brave woman!"

"Whohoha! Lookey here," replied Aunt Marge, "someone's obviously prouder than they should be of someone who was an absolute shame to humanity. Tell me, girl, did you even know Petunia's sister?"

Ginny was about to reply, but stopped abruptly, because Harry mumbled something to her left.

"Ginny, just let it go." Harry looked utterly woebegone: in his anger, his entire face was red. His eyes were fighting to stay open and he had huge dark bags under them. Ginny could have kicked herself for forgetting about him. That woman was just so ... infuriating.

"Harry, are you okay?"

"Just a little ... tired, 's all."

"It's way past ten! You need to get to bed. Come on." She got up and pulled Harry, who meekly complied, out of his chair.

"Oh, no you don't." Aunt Marge's firm grip had found Ginny's shoulder. "You need some setting straight"

"Let - go!" Ginny said as she struggled to get free. At last her teeth had found Aunt Marge's hand and drawn blood.

"Why, you little -"

What happened next occurred so quickly Ginny's mind was boggled. She heard the smack and felt the corresponding pain in her left cheek, caused by Marge's right hand. The next thing she knew, Aunt Marge was propelled backwards by some invisible force, ejected through the window, and deposited in an undignified heap in the back yard. Before she could enjoy the well-deserved sight, she heard Harry gasp and slump next to her - he had fainted.

She was just in time to catch him. She put him down and sat beside him. She produced her wand from her sleeve and cast the spell Madam Pomfrey had taught her just before she left Hogwarts.

"_Re-ennervate_. Shit!" Harry's shoulders spasmed, but he didn't wake up. "_Re-ennervate!_"

This time it worked. Harry woke and gasped for air. After quickly taking in his surroundings, his eyes focused on Ginny.

"Get up, Harry. We're getting out of here."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER II  
**That's ... err ... Snuffles**

"There you are, Harry!"

Ginny froze as she came face to face with her father's boss, Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic.

Harry, barely awake, had an arm around Ginny's shoulder for support since he was barely able to stand straight on his own, let alone carry his own trunk, and responded first. "Good evening, Minister Fudge."

"Ah, you know who I am. Excellent. Now let's take care of the Knight Bus, shall we?" With that, Fudge stepped past Harry and Ginny into the bus to pay the driver, giving Ginny a rather odd look as he did so. After that, he kindly took Harry's trunk from his hand to carry it for him but left Ginny to carry her own. "Follow me," he said to Harry and Ginny, casting an odd glance at the large black dog that followed them out of the bus.

"Into the Leaky Cauldron, come on," Fudge said, opening the door for them. When they were inside, Fudge haggled a bit with Tom, the innkeeper, who gave him a key. "Come on, follow me," Fudge said as he led Harry, Ginny and the black dog up the stairs. He cast a worried glance at Harry, who would not have been able to go up the stairs if it hadn't been for Ginny.

On the second story, Fudge led them into a room with two beds. The dog immediately jumped onto one of them and lay down.

"So," Fudge started as soon as Ginny had sat Harry on the other bed. "I'm sure you'll be pleased to learn that your aunt is back to normal, Harry, and can't recall a single thing that may have transpired this evening."

"That's probably good," mumbled Harry.

Fudge smiled rather nervously and continued, "Your relatives have agreed to take you in next summer, as long as you stay at Hogwarts for Christmas and Easter."

"I _always_ stay at Hogwarts for the holidays."

"Which leaves us with the problem of what to do with you now," Fudge continued, as if he hadn't heard Harry's remarks. "Now I've arranged for you and your girlfriend to spend the rest of the summer here."

Ginny chuckled at this and Harry blushed. "Ginny's not my girlfriend," he clarified. "She's my ... nurse ... sort of."

"Harry was injured at the end of last term. The protection around his relatives' house requires that his caregiver is underage," Ginny added.

"Ah," said Fudge, recalling having signed a waiver for authorized use of underage magic. "Well, I've arranged for you and your ... ah ... girl to stay here for the rest of the summer. So as long as you don't wander off to Muggle London or Knockturn Alley, you'll be fine; just confine your expeditions to Diagon Alley. Oh, and please try to be back here before it gets dark." With that, he made for the door.

"Wait," Harry said, confused. "Aren't you going to arrest me?"

"Err, not if you haven't done anything wrong ..." Fudge responded.

"Well, I did assault my aunt - magically ..."

"Oh, dear boy! We don't arrest people for using _accidental magic_ to blow up their relatives! Everybody is driven up the hill once in a while."

"So my record is cleared?" Harry asked, making sure.

"Yes, yes, consider it cleared. We're all happy to see you all in one piece, you know. Savior of the Wizarding World and all that stuff," said Fudge, fidgeting with his collar.

"So what about _my_ record?" Ginny asked.

"And your name is ..?"

"Ginny Weasley."

"Ginny Weasley ... hang on. Weren't you the one responsible for all the attacks on muggle-born children last year at Hogwarts?"

"No," Ginny replied acidly.

"Ah, I see. Well, then, if that's all, I shall take my leave. I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and remember - be back in the inn before dark." He started moving towards the door.

"Wait!" Ginny exclaimed, suddenly inspired.

"There's something else. You see, third-years at Hogwarts are allowed to go to Hogsmeade villageif they have permission from a parent or guardian. It's just ... Harry's relatives neglected to sign his permission form. Would you be so kind as to sign it?"

"Ah, but I'm not Harry's parent or guardian. I'm afraid I don't have the authority to sign it."

"Come on," Ginny pleaded. "You're the _Minister for Magic_. Your authority is greater than that of Dumbledore! And I'm sure Harry would be much obliged if you signed it for him."

"Uh, yeah," said Harry, catching on. "I'd be very thankful."

Fudge looked flattered at the praise, but said, "No, I'm afraid I can't sign it in good conscience, not with - never mind. I think you'd best stay on the castle grounds this year, Harry."

Fudge nodded one last time to the two children and then left, closing the door softly behind him.

"What about your record?" Harry asked Ginny the moment Fudge's footsteps were out of earshot. "I thought you had a waiver for underage magic?"

"Yeah, but I'm still restricted to the Statute of Secrecy which I ... sort of ... broke - accidentally of course. I ... kind of blew up your Aunt Marge after you sent her flying through the window. By the time we got out of the house, she was as round as a cherry."

Harry chuckled at this. "So that's what Uncle Vernon wanted you to undo, wasn't it? When I saw him coming after us, he was so angry, I thought he was going to beat us ... beat you."

"He might have, if it wasn't for that dog here," Ginny said, recalling the events of earlier that evening. She had left the house, supporting Harry and carrying both trunks. Uncle Vernon had come after her, enraged, screaming profanities and demanding that she "put her right". She shuddered to think what may have happened if the large black dog hadn't appeared out of nowhere and stood protectively in front of Harry and Ginny. When Uncle Vernon made to either swipe or grab one of them, the dog had jumped and sunk its teeth into Uncle Vernon's hand. The dog was a hellish fighter, because after a minute of wrestling, Uncle Vernon retreated back to his home. The large black dog had followed Harry and Ginny ever since, wagging its tail non-stop and demanding, in a most playful manner, that he be pat.

"What do you make of Fudge not signing the permission slip?" Ginny asked suddenly. "Looked to me as if he was hiding something."

"Yeah, he also said that the important thing was that I was in one piece, or something. I wonder if I'm in danger somehow."

"Well, not as long as I'm here," she stated proudly. "And I'm sure old Snuffles here would find a thing or two to bite if anyone tried to kill you in your sleep."

"So we're naming him Snuffles? What a lame name."

"Well you should have listened to him, constantly snuffling his way up and down our legs!"

Harry regarded the large dog seriously for a moment before insisting, "We've got to find him a better name."

"Snuffles _is_ a good name."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is. Time for bed."

"What?"

"You've been up for way too long. I can see it and I can hear it in your voice. You're barely staying awake." She untied his shoelaces and took off his shoes and socks. Then she helped him into bed and tucked him in.

"Don't I need my potion?" he asked.

Ginny bit her lip. "I forgot them at Privet Drive. There were just too many things to carry." Apology was all over her voice.

"Don't be sorry," Harry mumbled. "I didn't like them anyway." He smiled and closed his eyes.

"Sleep tight, Harry," Ginny said, placing a kiss on his forehead.

Harry, who was asleep within the minute, was briefly woken by Ginny's shout. "Oi! Get out of my bed, you hairy stray!"

***

Harry woke with a bad case of asthma the next morning, not having taken the potion the night before. With Ginny's support, encouragement and countless glasses of water, Harry finally managed to calm down enough to breathe. The next evening - by some miracle - they found the bag of Madam Pomfrey's potions lying in the corner of the room. Harry suspected Hedwig might have brought it from Privet Drive, but Ginny reasoned it was too heavy for her to carry, even if she found a way into Harry's room at number four.

They met with Madam Pomfrey a couple of days later. Without reprimanding them about leaving the way they did, she announced - to Harry's delight - that Harry was healthy enough to cease the potion treatment. She did hand Ginny a small vial of emergency potion, just in case there was a repeat of the asthma episode.

The two and a half weeks they spent in Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron were filled with nothing but joy. They bought their books on the first day and did bits and pieces of homework here and there. But generally, they just hung around, enjoying each other's company.

Of course, everywhere they went, they were followed by their hairy companion, which Ginny had named Snuffles-until-Harry-finds-a-better-name-for-you. The dog amused them to no end by chasing its tail, fetching magical bouncing balls or chasing pidgins around the place. Of course, the dog had its down-sides, too. Whenever Harry or Ginny pat him, they had to wash their hands to get all the grime and grease off. He'd often try to sleep in Harry's or Ginny's bed, but he'd quickly get shooed by an angry Ginny whenever she caught him at it. Once or twice, the dog would jump into the fountain at Gringotts' east entrance to fetch the bouncing ball, and then shake himself dry right in front of Harry and Ginny. Harry thought the dog was smart enough that he did it on purpose.

All too soon, it seemed, their stay at Diagon Alley was drawing to an end. Harry was sad that he hadn't met Ron and Hermione at all that summer, but at least he'd meet them on the Hogwarts Express the next day. Ginny, however, assured him that her family would be back from Egypt by September the thirtieth.

And indeed, around noon on the last day, Harry and Ginny were greeted by shouts of "Harry! Ginny!" To Harry's great delight, he saw Ron and Hermione, who were eating ice cream under a parasol at Florean Fortescue's.

"How are you?" Hermione asked Harry after she released him from her hug.

"I'm fine, really," was the response. "I have a bit of asthma from time to time, but it's nothing serious. Other than that, I'm perfectly fit."

"Great," said Ron. "And what's that?" he asked, pointing at the large dog that was begging him for attention.

"That's ... err ... Snuffles," answered Harry. "Long story."

The four of them headed back to the Leaky Cauldron where, they learned, both Ron's family and Hermione were also staying. Ginny told them bits and pieces of what had transpired at the Dursleys', but not the whole truth. She knew Harry would be horrified if his friends found out what life was like for him at 'home'. She hoped she'd said enough not to make Ron and Hermione curious, or else that they'd have the tact not to ask prying questions.

After Harry and Ginny had reunited with the rest of her family, Ron mentioned Scabbers wasn't well, and that he should get him something. Hermione also mentioned getting herself a pet, so Harry led them to the nearest magical pet store.

***

Spending time with Harry and Ginny was definitely fun. It was a shame, though, that he couldn't reveal his real form to them. He couldn't wait until he was no longer a fugitive; he wanted to see his godson through his human eyes. He wanted to see _Lily's_ eyes again, and _James's_ face, not the unclear and fuzzy image his dog eyes gave him. He knew it was Harry, though. The smell was the same as when he was a baby and the sound was definitely the same when he laughed. God, he wanted to be _free_.

Sirius Black had a plan for that. Wormtail had no idea that he was so close. Fortunately, that, because he would probably have fled if he did know. Sirius knew he wouldn't be able to stay with Harry and Ginny after tonight. First, dogs weren't allowed for pets at Hogwarts and second, the chance that Wormtail caught his scent was too great. Last, and probably least, Herminy's - at least he thought her name was Herminy - cat knew he wasn't really a dog. He could see it in his eyes.

He knew Wormtail's owner - Ron, or whatever his name was - gosh, it was weird thinking of Wormtail being owned as a pet rat. Anyhow, Sirius Black knew Wormtail's owner was going to administer the rat tonic. All he had to do was swap the rat tonic with something more ... lethal.

No, that wouldn't do. If he got Wormtail poisoned while in rat form, he would die a rat and Sirius Black would have no chance of ever being exonerated. He needed a Restorative Potion - a bit of Mandrake Juice should suffice. Where did old Tom keep his medical supplies?

Aha! Draught of Living Death, that would definitely come in handy to make sure that Wormtail didn't immediately flee when turned back to his human form.

Sirius had already nicked the vial of Rat Tonic. Ron would probably be looking for it later, but Sirius trusted that someone would eventually find it and return it to Ron.

He opened the vial of Rat Tonic and poured the contents down the sink. Next, he put a couple of drops of the Draught of Living Death in. Urban Legend had it that ten drops were enough to put someone to sleep for life. Five should probably do for Wormtail. Next, he filled the vial to the brim with Essence of Mandrake. He didn't want Wormtail to be able to turn back into a rat, even if he did somehow escape the sleep potion. Fixing the lid on the vial, he started looking around for a good place to put it, to make sure someone would find it.

"Stop right there."

Shit! Sirius turned around to see the father of the red-headed family at the bottom of the stairs, wand drawn, trained on his heart.

Sirius realized the man must have had dueling experience. If the man tried to hex him now, he'd be able to dodge the curse and escape. However, if he tried to escape now, the man would probably fire a hex and hit him with it. The man was slowly nullifying the stalemate by closing the distance between them ... and stalling him.

"Come to poison us all in our sleep, have we?"

"There's only one person I want to kill, Mr Weasley."

"Your capture is going to get me nice bonus at the Ministry. Yes, I can see tomorrow's Daily Prophet headline: Weasley Captures Black ... that would shut up Lucius Malfoy for good."

"You work at the Ministry? Could you do me a favor?"

"Not in this lifetime, Black."

"Check into my arrest files. Find out why I was arrested. Look into my trial recordings."

"Shut up, Black. I was on duty that Halloween night. I had to clean up the blood and bodies of all the Muggles after you were finished with them!"

"Dad, did you see my -" Ginny had come bounding down the stairs to see her father. For a moment, her gaze met Sirius's, and Arthur was distracted. Sirius Black seized the opportunity and disappeared into the shadows.

"Ginny - go to your mom. Now!" With that, he Disapparated in front of a stunned Ginny.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER III  
**The Secret to the Twins' Success**

The night before had been nightmarish. It reminded Arthur of the all-too-many long nights spent at the Ministry when the war was still on. He had immediately Disapparated to the Auror Office, and they had taken over from there. Of course, as the prime witness, Arthur was required to write an affidavit and aid in the investigation of the Leaky Cauldron. The Aurors had seized all the food and spices in stock on suspicion of poisoning, much to Tom's chagrin. But the hardest truth of all was that Sirius Black had escaped - again.

"Daddy, can I ask you a favor?"

"That depends on the favor, darling," Arthur responded with a smile. He had only gotten a couple hours of sleep, but he always had time for his daughter.

Ginny grinned and crawled onto the bed in which her father was having a lie-in that morning. "Every child with magical abilities has a magical guardian, right?" Arthur nodded. "You and mom are mine; Albus Dumbledore is Hermione's since she's muggle-born and attends Hogwarts, correct? But who is Harry's magical guardian? He isn't muggle-born, his parents are gone and his relatives aren't magical."

"You know, I have no idea. Why do you ask?"

"Could you find out for me?" Ginny asked, thinking that her father had easy access to the documents that held the information she was looking for.

"Sure, I will. But why do you ask? Are you up to something?" Arthur's eyes twinkled and Ginny smiled.

"It's just ... Harry's relatives refused to sign the permission slip that would allow him to go to Hogsmeade. I think it's unfair that he shouldn't be allowed to go just because his relatives hate him. I've been trying to figure out who could sign it instead, but I can't think of anyone. Even the Prime Minister refused to sign it when I asked him to, and we all know how power-hungry he is."

Arthur chuckled at his daughter's discontentment with his boss, as it perfectly reflected his own. "There might be a reason for that, Ginny."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked sharply. Arthur sighed. If she was old enough to ask the question, she had to be old enough to hear the answer, he reminded himself.

"Do you know why Sirius Black was here last night, Ginny?" She shook her head, so he continued, "The Minister suspects - and I agree with him - that he was here to poison Harry. We believe Sirius Black is out to kill the person responsible for the downfall of his master."

"Ah," Ginny sighed, "that explains the troop of Aurors that were following us everywhere we went for the past two and a half weeks."

Arthur chuckled again. "You noticed that?"

"Of course we did. We had plenty of fun with Harry's Invisibility Cloak, you know. You should have seen their faces!"

Arthur laughed with his daughter's imitation of a confused Auror for a few seconds before he went back on-topic. "So it's a blessing in disguise, really, that Harry won't be able to leave the castle grounds. He's much more vulnerable outside the grounds."

"That doesn't make any sense at all," Ginny replied. "Sirius Black got into this building, even though it was surrounded by Aurors - yes, I've noticed them, too. If he wanted to, I'm sure he could get into Hogwarts castle. After the first Hogsmeade visit when he doesn't see Harry walking among the six hundred or so students, he'll come to the only logical conclusion that goes with a third-year that's not in Hogsmeade: that he didn't acquire the permission from his guardian(s). So the next time he sees the students pouring out of the castle for another Hogsmeade visit, he is going to _know_ Harry is sitting cooped up in the castle. And don't tell me he'd have to fight off all the teachers to get to him then - most of them would be chaperoning the students."

"You're forgetting about all the enchantments around Hogwarts," Arthur said, determined to poke a hole into Ginny's reasoning.

"Which are better or worse than Azkaban's?" That effectively rendered Arthur speechless. "I believe Harry is actually _safer_ in the middle of that multitude of students and, undoubtedly, pack of Aurors."

"You're forgetting about Albus Dumbledore." Arthur softly stated. "He's the only wizard You-Know-Who ever feared, isn't he? Sirius Black can't possibly be more powerful than _him_."

"First off," Ginny replied, "_Voldemort_ must have feared Harry, or he would never have tried to kill him when he was a baby. Secondly, Albus Dumbledore has been fooled before, hasn't he?" Ginny recalled Hermione's urgent letter that Hedwig had delivered to _her_, because Quirrel had made Dumbledore unfindable for owls. She had been beside herself with worry at that time.

"You're quite pessimistic, you know," Arthur remarked.

"Not at all," replied Ginny. "I'm quite optimistic. I just don't agree with your assessment of the entire situation. Things don't add up, that's all."

"Ginny?"

"Yes, Daddy?"

"You can't tell Harry any of this. The knowledge would freak him out."

"You don't give Harry enough credit, Dad!" came the heated reply. Her father could be so un-insightful at times. "Did he freak out when he thought Voldemort was going to come back in his first year? No. Did he freak out when - when Tom Riddle told him he was going to kill him? No!" She took a deep breath the calm herself. "Harry is better off knowing that Black is after him. He'll be more careful. And Ron and Hermione will probably keep a better eye on him."

"Sorry, Ginny. I didn't mean to be rude. Or offensive," Arthur said, ever the pacifist.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you."

"There's something else." Arthur sighed. "I want you to promise me you won't let Harry go looking for Black."

"Why would Harry go looking for someone who he knows is out to kill him?"

Arthur sighed again. He really had not planned on telling this. But if she was old enough to ask the question, she had to be old enough to hear the answer.

***

The train ride started off rather uneventful. As soon as the four of them had found a compartment to themselves - the sleeping professor didn't count - Ginny told them all about the conversation she had had with her father that morning. As she had expected, Harry responded very calmly to the news that there was a mass-murderer after him. As she had also expected, he was absolutely appalled to learn that his parents had been betrayed by someone they thought was their friend.

Halfway through the journey, the compartment door slid open and Draco Malfoy entered, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. He tried to pick a fight, but was rather easily scared off when he realized there was a professor asleep in the compartment with them.

The remainder of the trip was rather uneventful until an hour or two before they arrived at Hogwarts. The trio and Ginny had definitely not expected a horde of Dementors to board the train.

***

"Oi! Potter! Weasley! Did I hear Longbottom correctly? You actually _fainted_?" Draco Malfoy laughed when the four of them entered the Entrance Hall.

"Ignore him," Hermione encouraged. "Let's go straight to the Hospital Wing." Even though Professor Lupin had given them a large slab of chocolate on the train, Harry and Ginny still looked very pale. Their eyes were downcast as they took the all-too familiar corridor towards the Hospital Wing. Only Ron noticed Harry and Ginny were holding hands.

Madam Pomfrey fussed over the two of them and forced another large chunk of chocolate down their throats, for which they were very grateful. Expectedly, she ranted on and on about Professor Dumbledore's decision to allow the Dementors in the castle.

She looked at Harry and Ginny worriedly and stated ominously, "You may be the first, but you won't be the last! Mark my words."

"Poppy, you know well enough Professor Dumbledore didn't have a choice in the matter. Cornelius Fudge went over his head with his stupid _Educational Decree for Student Safety_," Professor McGonagall ranted as she entered the Hospital Wing. "That man has got delusions of grandeur!"

Ginny smiled. It was good to see her own bad opinion of Fudge echoed in her Head of House's rant.

"Now, Harry, Ginny. Are you all right?"

"Yeah," replied Harry, "thanks to the chocolate."

"Why," Ginny asked, " did no one else faint? Why were we the only ones?"

"It's not something to be ashamed of," McGonagall explained. It was odd to hear compassion in her voice. "You see, a Dementor causes a person to relive their worst memories and think the worst possible thoughts. In your minds, there is ... there's something you don't see every day, so to speak." Harry and Ginny nodded. "I'm afraid your memories are - vivid - enough to make anyone faint."

"How long are the Dementors going to stay here?" Hermione asked. "It can't be a good thing if Harry and Ginny ... you know ... faint ... every other day ... on their way to class and on the way to the Quidditch Pitch."

"The Dementors have been ordered to stay off the routes between classes, the Great Hall, the Hospital Wing, Hagrid's hut, the four dormitories and the Quidditch Pitch," McGonagall answered. "Though I'm afraid you're going to have to reduce your nightly escapades to a minimum in order to evade them. As for how long they are going to stay here, I'm afraid that is at the Minister's discretion. But I suspect he'll cancel the Decree as soon as Sirius Black is caught."

"That's going to take _ages_," Ginny remarked, but McGonagall ignored her.

"I am more concerned, however, with whether you will be able to sleep well. Dementors are known to disrupt sleep behavior. If that is the case, you will report immediately to either Madam Pomfrey or me. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Professor McGonagall," Harry and Ginny mumbled in chorus.

"Good. Miss Granger, could I have a word with you in private, please?"

McGonagall spoke with Hermione outside the Hospital Wing for some time before she sent them all to Gryffindor Tower, asserting that the feast would surely be over. She would have a house-elf bring them some food.

Outside the dormitory before the Fat Lady, they met Fred and George.

"Ginny, darling, how are you?" George asked, genuinely concerned.

"We were wondering if we might have a little word with you." Fred added.

"If it really is just a word, I suppose so. I'm rather sleepy and I'd like to go to bed now."

"Excellent," Fred said. He gave Ron, Harry and Hermione the password for the Fat Lady and the twins stared them through the portrait hole.

"So what are you bothering me for?" Ginny asked, as soon as her brother and two friends were out of earshot.

"Us?" exclaimed Fred.

"Bothering?" exclaimed George.

"Our little sister?"

"We wouldn't dream it!" Fred and George stopped their antics when they realized Ginny wasn't enjoying them.

"Cut to the chase," she said acidly. "I'm really not in the mood."

"We couldn't help overhearing a conversation between two teachers, Sprout and Flitwick, if you must know," George began.

"We heard you'd fainted on the train when the Dementors entered your compartment," Fred continued. "We were immediately very concerned with you."

"But more importantly," George cut in, "how would the fact that Dementors now patrol the corridors affect your ability to sneak around the castle? Think of all the people who wouldn't be pranked!"

"So we decided you might need a little ... help ... evading the smelly prison guards," Fred concluded.

This brought a smile to Ginny's lips. "Are you going to tell me how you two manage to never get caught?"

"What makes you think we need help?" George asked suspiciously.

"I'm cleverer _and_ more devious than both of you put together. If I had received the same help you got, I'd already have the reputation you had at the end of your third year." She let the statement sink in. "If you doubt that, why don't you look into the underwear compartments of your trunks?"

The twins looked at each other nervously. "Erhm, never mind that," Fred said. "After a short debate, we've decided to give you the secret to our success."

"We've decided your need is greater than ours," George added. He produced a rather old piece of parchment and tapped it with his wand, whispering "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

When Ginny saw the writing being written by an invisible hand, she jumped backwards. "This - this is some kind of sick joke, isn't it? Well, it's NOT FUNNY!"

It took a while for Fred and George to understand her reaction. She wasn't normally one to sniff a gift hippogriff like that. But after only a few seconds, they realized they had reminded her of something very bad.

"Shit! Ginny," pleaded Fred. "I'm sorry. We didn't mean to remind you of ... you know ... _that_ book. This is nothing like it."

"This is a map," supplied George. "Look."

Ginny tentatively glanced at the parchment and what she saw caused her jaw to drop open.

_Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs proudly present the Marauder's Map._

***

"Ginny," George asked her in the common room the next morning. "What did you do to our underwear compartments? We can't find any magical residue."

Ginny laughed heartily, even though she had a bad case of the morning grumps. "You mean you actually _looked_?"


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER IV  
**Permission**

That year definitely started off as Harry's worst. For Ginny, it was only marginally better than her first year.

It wasn't Ron and Hermione's constant bickering about whether or not Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, Ron's missing rat. It wasn't Snape, who had grown ever more spiteful after his failure to get Ginny expelled the previous year. It wasn't the eerie mist that hung in the castle and seemed to be growing denser and denser. It wasn't the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher who, contrary to his predecessors, was great - especially because he had started giving Harry and Ginny private lessons on how to repel Dementors.

It wasn't Quidditch for Harry. If anything, Wood's renewed vigor regarding the training schedules helped him.

It wasn't the Marauder's Map for Ginny. She quickly came to the conclusion that the item could not think (to her very great relief). It was simply charmed to insult anyone that tried to read it without the proper password. In addition to that, Fred and George had charmed the Map to show the Dementors, so Ginny was free to roam around as much she liked.

It wasn't Snuffles, who had shown up at Hogwarts and spent a lot of time with Ginny and Harry (and when they were accompanied, Ron and Hermione, too). It wasn't even Sirius Black, whom the portraits had reported seeing in the castle repeatedly - which had steadily increased the level of fear among the student population.

No, the reason why that year at Hogwarts started off that badly was the Dementors. Though they were ordered (and Harry suspected, magicked) to stay out of the everyday corridors, the effect was thoroughly noticeable. The students only had half their usual gusto in class (as was frequently remarked by their teachers), their essays were getting shorter and shorter. They ate less and talked less. It was as though life was being sucked from them as they went about their daily activities. With the Dementors so near, that analogy was dangerously close to reality.

But for no one was the presence of the Dementors more noticeable than for Harry and Ginny. It was bad enough they were affected during their waking hours, but the Dementors got to them in their sleep, too. Whenever one of them closed their eyelids, they were bombarded with images and sounds of their worst moments in life. Harry was forced, over and over, to relive his parents' murder. Ginny, perhaps, was even less fortunate. In her dreams, she constantly woke up to find Harry, pale and dying, his right arm having been pierced by the poisonous Basilisk fang and bleeding like mad. There was nothing that could help her get over the guilt she felt, but Harry's real-life presence. Many times the two of them spent the remainder of their nightmare-disturbed nights in the common room, deriving much-needed support from each other's embrace.

They visited Madam Pomfrey quite often, but in the end, there was no cure to their insomnia. Once in a while, they would receive a Dreamless Sleep potion. However, the potion was restricted to once every two weeks, since an overuse could result in their bodies building a resistance to it. According to Madam Pomfrey, Harry and Ginny weren't the only ones suffering from sleeplessness, but they definitely had the worst cases.

Before anyone knew it, the first Hogsmeade trip was coming up. No one was more anxious to get off the school grounds than Harry and Ginny, but fate, alas, was against them. Instead, they spent the day with Snuffles, who had shown up at Hogwarts a couple of days into September. Next to being able to play catch extremely well (for a dog) and being a great guide in the Forbidden Forest, Snuffles was a very good listener. He was also Ginny's companion whenever she watched Harry's Quidditch practices. Snuffles knew all the places she could hide without being noticed by the fliers.

Ginny had obviously told Harry all about the Marauder's Map and agreed to let him use it whenever he needed it. Harry had reciprocated by offering her the use of his Invisibility Cloak any time she required.

Ginny had smiled at that. _If only he knew how often I've used it already!_

Harry had smiled at that, too. _I hope she feels less guilty now._

One week after the Hogsmeade trip, two Quidditch teams were getting ready to face each other. Gryffindor, the weather-hardened, experienced team of last year and the year before that, would play Hufflepuff under the new captaincy of Cedric Diggory who, Wood insisted, was anything but the _pretty boy_ the Weasley twins insisted he was. (Slytherin had pulled back due to the supposed injury of their Seeker - a surface scratch on the arm that was mended the instant Madam Pomfrey's wand looked at it.)

Ginny almost fainted again when a pack of Dementors arrived at the Quidditch pitch and feasted on all the high-running emotions. She was beside herself when Harry _did_ faint again and fell off his broom from some fifty feet altitude.

She was the first to reach him on the muddy pitch where he lay and she immediately cast the _Re-ennervate_ charm on him. It didn't work, unfortunately. She held Harry's hand the entire way when McGonagall had levitated him towards the Hospital Wing, and she stayed there, by Harry's unconscious side, so eerily similar to the last month of the school year before.

It was after Ron and Hermione had declared they were going to bed that evening - and after they had urged Ginny to do the same - and after she declined like they had expected her to, that she heard a knock on the window. Hedwig was trying to get in.

"Hedwig!" Ginny gasped, and she hurried to open the window. As soon as there was room for her, Hedwig flew in and swooped down next to Harry's head on the pillow. She nudged his face with her beak.

"Harry's unconscious right now, I'm afraid," Ginny explained. "Madam Pomfrey said he'd wake up tomorrow. (She'd better be right!) Why don't you give the message to me?"

Hedwig looked at her suspiciously. "Don't you trust me?" Ginny asked. Of course, Hedwig trusted her. She flew onto Ginny's shoulder and let her untie the scroll from her leg. After delivering her message, Hedwig flew back out of the window and Ginny promptly shut it.

She couldn't help peeking at the message, even though she respected Harry's privacy.

_I, Sirius Black, godfather and guardian of Harry Potter hereby give him permission to visit Hogsmeade village during school trips thereto._

***

"What do you mean, Potter, permission from your guardian?" snapped Professor McGonagall after Harry's next Transfiguration lesson when he tried to hand her the note. (He'd been released from the Hospital Wing the morning after the accident.) "Do you even know who your guardian is?"

"I imagine that would be the person my parents chose for me," Harry answered, deliberately unhelpful. He'd done nothing to make her angry, so she shouldn't be snapping.

"And who was that?"

"The same person as my godfather."

"Be serious!"

"Sirius Black."

Professor McGonagall goggled at him for a brief second, before regaining her composure. "Sirius Black supposedly gave you permission to visit Hogsmeade. What on Earth makes you believe that?"

"Well," Harry answered, producing the note Ginny had given him. "He signed a note saying so, for starters." He handed the note to his Head of House, who cast a charm on it to test it for forgery.

Apparently, it passed the test, because McGonagall surveyed Harry through her prim glasses. "Harry, if a wanted criminal wants you to go to Hogsmeade, what does that tell you?"

"It tells me that said wanted criminal knows that I'm not going to Hogsmeade with the rest of the student body above second year. And as a consequence, that criminal will know exactly where I will be spending the time that my classmates spend in Hogsmeade." Ginny had told him to act as though he had no idea Sirius Black was after him. His logic would have so much more impact on McGonagall, who obviously knew.

"Harry," McGonagall responded tactfully. "I don't know how to bring this to you ... Sirius Black is -"

"Supposedly after me," Harry replied. "I know. It doesn't make sense, though. Why would he show up in the dungeons when it's a well-known fact that I'm a resident of Gryffindor Tower? I've been out on the grounds and playing Quidditch countless of times. If Sirius Black was really after me, he'd have tried to kill me already. And," he grinned, "he'd probably have succeeded."

"If you think your safety is a laughing matter, you are very much mistaken! I refuse to accept your permission to visit Hogsmeade for obvious reasons. Whenever a Hogsmeade excursion is organized, you are to spend that time inside the castle. Is that clear?" Without waiting for a response, McGonagall strode out of the room.

"Bummer, mate," Ron said by his side.

"I wasn't expecting it to work anyway," Harry admitted as he walked out of the class room. "Where's Hermione?"

"I don't know," Ron replied. "She was here moments ago!"

"There you are," Hermione called as she bounded down the stairs to their left. "So did McGonagall allow you to go to Hogsmeade with us?"

"Nah," Harry answered. (Ron frowned when Hermione looked relieved at this.) "How was Ancient Runes?" he asked, spotting the heavy tome in Hermione's arms.

"It was great. Professor Gylfi told us the story of when the god Thor visited Hy-"

"But you _can't_ have been in Ancient Runes," Ron interrupted. "You were in Transfiguration, with us!"

"Hermione, will you ever tell us how you're in two places at once?" Harry pleaded. "And don't try to tell us you're not. You were in Transfiguration just now, and you were in Ancient Runes just now, as well. The subjects are not taught in the same place. Ergo, you were just in two places at once. Now, I know you're good - very good - and I know you've figured it out with McGonagall, but will you please tell us how you're managing? It hurts, you know, feeling that you trust us so little you can't share a secret."

Hermione looked at her feet. "Alright," she said. "But you have to promise not to tell _anyone_."

***

_Dear Sir,_

_I noticed you gave your godson permission to visit Hogsmeade yesterday. I can't help wondering: what's your motivation for doing so?_

_Your truly,  
GW._

Ginny couldn't help herself. She wanted to know why Sirius Black had sent Harry that permission slip, so she had sent Hedwig along with the note, in order to ask him.

Ginny hadn't expected a reply so soon. After all, she'd only sent the letter before coming down for breakfast, and she got the reply by morning owl-mail! Sirius Black was closer than she thought.

_Dear G,_

_Is it wrong for me to want him to go to Hogsmeade with all the rest of his class? Contrary to the opinion of the Ministry, I do not want Harry dead._

_I can't __It's not __a_ _wise __idea_ _for me to explain per letter what my true motive is. I can reveal that __it has nothing_ _Harry is not directly_ _it doesn't immediately concern Harry._

_Yours Frankly,  
Sir._

_PS: "Padfoot" is a decent codename for me. "Sir" makes me feel so old._

It was especially the last line that caused Ginny's jaw to jump open out of its own accord. Sirius Black was one of the makers of the Marauder's Map. She couldn't stop herself from writing another message, even if she would only get to post it that evening.

***

Ginny didn't know why she was not telling Harry about her correspondence with Sirius Black. Perhaps she was afraid that Harry would hate her for befriending the man who was responsible for the murder of his parents.

His replies were just so _interesting_. During their letter-exchange, she had discovered who the other three Marauders were: Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin (her very own Defense Against the Dark Arts professor) and James Potter (Harry's dad). She had been able to find secret passageways through Hogwarts that even the Marauder's Map didn't show. She had become aware of his 'true' motive: to commit the murder he was imprisoned for (possibly getting exonerated in the process would be a significant bonus).

She wasn't sure about the last item. There was, of course, the chance that Black was trying to bamboozle her (she was, of course, especially doubtful of anything that wrote back). But moreover, that motive implied that Peter Pettigrew was still alive. If he was, why hadn't he been discovered?

Black had told her that he had never been the Potters' secret keeper and that it was Peter Pettigrew who had betrayed them, but she uncovered that to be a lie. When she had subtly asked, Professor Lupin had confirmed that Black had been the Secret Keeper.

The thing that perhaps bugged her most of all was that Black claimed never to have had a trial. This fact was confirmed by her father when she, Ron and Harry had gone to the Burrow for the Christmas holidays (anything to escape the Dementors and the nightmares they brought with them).

"Who're you writing to?" Harry asked her one late night at the Burrow, when she was quilling away at her next letter to Sirius, asking him exactly why Peter Pettigrew was never found. "I know you're using Hedwig," he continued. "and if she doesn't mind, then I don't, either. But I wish you didn't keep it a secret from me."

Ginny could have punched herself for the look of sadness on his face. "Harry, please believe me ... I _can't_ tell you." He looked even sadder at that. Ginny hid the addressee of the letter and continued, "I promise, in the end, I'll tell you everything. But right now, please just trust me."

"I trust you," Harry confirmed. "You saved me, remember?" He left her room for Ron's.

"No I didn't," Ginny mumbled, but he was out of earshot.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER V  
**The Mystery of Sirius Black**

Ginny didn't receive a reply until she had been back at Hogwarts for a couple of days. Apparently, Black had taken a long time to contemplate what to write.

_Dear G,_

_The reason Wormtail managed to stay undetected for so long is because he is an unregistered Animagus: a therianthrope rat, to be precise. He's been living with a wizarding family all these years. Here's the newspaper clipping that made me realize that just before I escaped from Azkaban._

_Regards,  
Padfoot_

Appended to Black's latest letter was the article from last July about that year's Annual Galleon Draw Prize winner: Arthur Weasley. It had a moving photo of all the Weasleys in Egypt, except for her.

_What tha?_ Ginny thought as she surveyed the newspaper clipping. Why had Black included an article about her family? Surely he didn't think they had been harboring Pettigrew all these years, did he? Unless -

Ginny did a double take on the picture. Sure enough, she found the rat Black was talking about. Scabbers was sitting on Ron's shoulder.

She had to find out the entire truth _now_. She didn't care it was way after curfew. She grabbed the Marauder's Map and quickly darted up to Harry's dormitory for the Invisibility Cloak. With the two greatest tools for sneaking around at her disposal, she quickly made her way towards Lupin's office.

When she arrived, she pounded on the door until he opened it. He looked into nothingness until Ginny realized he couldn't see her, and she removed the Invisibility Cloak. "Professor," she panted. "I've got a few questions for you."

"I see," said Lupin suspiciously, eyeing the Cloak. "Why don't you come in?" He stepped aside and let Ginny enter the office. "Could I get you something? "Tea? Coffee? Firewhisky?"

Ginny coughed at the last suggestion. "Tea will be fine, thank you."

"So what is it you wanted to ask me?" he asked, after calling a house-elf and ordering two teas.

Ginny did not beat around the bush. "Are you a werewolf?"

Lupin was caught off-guard and breathed some saliva. Coughing, he answered. "I'm afraid so. Who else knows?"

"I haven't told anyone," she answered. "I think Hermione might suspect, but Harry and Ron are definitely clueless." Ginny had suspected he was a werewolf ever since she had found out he was the Marauder that went by the nickname 'Moony'.

"Despite that," Ginny continued, "you had great friends in school, didn't you? Three of them?"

"I had the best friends," Lupin confirmed. "They didn't judge me for what I became once every month, but for who I was. And yes, there were three of them. The four of us were rather well-known for our mischief."

"But they were jealous of you, weren't they?"

Lupin didn't follow. "Jealous? Being a werewolf isn't something to be jealous of."

"No," Ginny agreed. "But turning into an animal can have its benefits, can't it?"

Lupin's eyes went wide, but he didn't say anything. Ginny decided to prod a little further. "Peter Pettigrew became an Animagus, didn't he?" Lupin nodded. "And what was Harry's father's form?" Here she was guessing; she didn't know for certain that James had been an Animagus, too; she merely suspected.

"James was a stag."

"And Sirius?"

"A black dog."

_That_ was what Ginny was after! She was surprised, thought, when Lupin continued, "But he won't be able to enter the castle like a dog, or change forms in the castle."

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Why not?"

"Because I cast wards when I arrived that would prevent anyone concealed as an animal to enter or leave the castle - or even to enter the castle like a human and change forms back and forth once in the castle."

Was Pettigrew still in the castle, hiding as a rat, because he couldn't leave the castle or change into a human? It would definitely explain why Sirius Black was constantly around ... but then, how could Ron have gotten Scabbers into the castle in the first place?

"When did you arrive?" Ginny asked.

"Same as the students, remember? I was in your compartment on the train."

"So supposing Padfoot entered the castle along with the students back then, he'd be stuck in here like a dog?"

"In theory, yes, he'd have to be carried by someone else leaving the castle in order to escape it," answered Lupin, "but I would have seen if he were among the students. And the portraits wouldn't have reported seeing Black in man-form."

"If I were to injure Black while he was human, would it be noticeable when he was a dog?" Ginny asked, prying for the next bit of information she needed.

"Err, I'm not sure what you mean. An Animagus can't escape their injuries, if that's what you're asking. Changing forms won't help; the injuries translate along with the shape-shift."

"So if Black lost an arm or a foot ..."

"Then the dog would walk on three legs, or three paws," Lupin confirmed. Ginny grinned. That was the second bit of information she needed.

"One more question," Ginny said, sipping her tea.

"Shoot away."

"Did the Potters let you in on the secret of their location?"

"I - err - no. They ... We, the four of us, were in the resistance against Voldemort during the war. Only, there was a spy among us. Someone kept leaking information to Voldemort. Everyone thought it was me, because I'm ... Well, I'm the werewolf. I was generally trusted with very little information."

"Harry's parents suspected you?"

"No, they didn't. James was adamant that his friends weren't in Voldemort's service. He wouldn't talk to anyone who suspected his friends. But it was just ... the policy of those days ... to trust as little people as necessary."

"So theoretically," Ginny reasoned, "when the Potters cast the Fidelius Charm -" Lupin's surprised look at her mentioning that particular magic wasn't lost on her. "- they could have switched Secret Keepers at the last moment."

"I would have had no idea," Lupin confirmed. (Ginny beamed when she received the third piece of information she was after.) "But it doesn't matter. Peter tracked Black down and Black decimated him, along with those thirteen Muggles."

Ginny contemplated the three bits of information she had gotten. One, Sirius Black was the dog she knew as Snuffles. Two, Peter Pettigrew was alive and hiding as a rat in the castle as Scabbers. Three, No-one would ever have known if the Potter _had_ switched Secret Keepers at the last moment.

"Well, that's enough to settle my curiosity for now," Ginny said politely. "Thank you very much for having me in the middle of the night, and thank you for the tea. I'd better be going now."

Lupin smiled and led her to the door. When she was almost out he asked her, "One more thing, Ginny. How did you know Sirius's nickname was Padfoot?"

"I ... err ... must have read it ... somewhere ... no wait, you told me!"

It was a lame excuse, and Lupin wasn't fooled. "Are you ..." his eyes widened as he suddenly realized where Ginny had gotten all her information. "You're in contact with Sirius Black!"

"Sshhhh!" was Ginny's immediate response. "Someone might hear!"

"Ginny, you really _can't_ -"

"Yes I can! Listen, come with me - I'll explain on the way."

Lupin grabbed his coat and followed Ginny as she led the way towards the grounds.

"Harry and I met the dog over the summer," Ginny explained, producing the Marauder's Map - to Lupin's brilliant smile. "If he really wanted to kill either Harry or me, he could have done so the first night we spent in the Leaky Cauldron, because he was in the room with us. _I solemnly swear I am up to no good_," she said as she tapped the Map to activate.

"The dog came to Hogwarts a couple of days after we did. I had no idea it was Sirius Black until today. Look -" She showed him the dot in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. The name was slightly obscured by the trees, but for those that knew what they were looking for, the name label definitely read 'Sirius Black'.

"As for why he's here ..." She sighed. "I don't know how to bring this to you. He's here to commit the murder he was imprisoned for."

"You ... I ... you mean ... Peter Pettigrew is _alive_? Impossible!"

"No," disagreed Ginny. "I've seen him. I never knew any better. Ron's got a pet rat, you see. It's been with us for some twelve years now - way too long for an ordinary rat to live. And did I mention that it's missing a toe on its front right paw?"

"But ..." said Lupin, "that ... that would mean -"

"I know. Pettigrew faked his death and framed Sirius for the murder of thirteen Muggles which _he_'d committed."

"But why wouldn't he have contacted me? I thought I'd lost all my friends that night!"

"Remus," Ginny was a little uncomfortable using the Professor's first name, but he definitely needed the little affection it conveyed right now. "The Potters switched Secret Keepers. Sirius was never the spy. Peter was. Sirius tracked Peter down, not the other way around."

Lupin stopped walking. "Are ... are you telling me that I ... that I let my best friend rot in Azkaban for twelve years while ... while he was _innocent_?"

Ginny couldn't help it. She hugged the man. "I'm sure he will forgive you. But for now, let's just meet him, shall we?"

Lupin nodded and followed her lead again.

"Can you mask your scent?" Ginny asked when they opened the large castle doors. "He might think you would turn him in again."

"I, uh, sure, but won't he _see_ me?"

"Not if you wear _this_," Ginny answered, handing him the Invisibility Cloak.

"Harry's?" he asked, grinning. Ginny nodded.

When they reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Ginny whistled in the same manner that she always did to call Snuffles. Sure enough, the large black dog came bounding towards her soon after.

When she had gotten him to stop jumping up to lick her face, she began her customary one-way conversation with the dog. "So I got another letter from Sirius Black this evening. It said ... well, you know what it said, don't you?"

The dog looked at her curiously.

"Don't take me for a FOOL, Sirius," she warned menacingly. "And talk to me like a man."

The message wasn't lost on the dog, and he promptly turned into the gaunt, ghastly man from the Daily Prophet. "Well, well, Ginny, I'm impressed! How did you figure everything out?"

"I had some help," she admitted. "But more importantly, I believe you. I believe you're innocent."

"Thanks," said Sirius, sighing. "I wish I felt the same way."

"There's a difference between doing the wrong thing and choosing to do the wrong thing."

"No," Sirius disagreed. "That difference is meaningless, now."

Ginny chose not to contest that. She knew first-hand how it felt to be responsible for something terrible without ever having had the desire for it to happen. "There's someone who would like to meet you."

"You brought Harry?" Sirius asked, smiling and looking around.

"I'm afraid not," Ginny said. "But he believes you're innocent, too."

***

The reunion of the two friends had been an emotional affair for all three of them. Sirius had been extremely glad to be found innocent by his friend. Remus felt guilty for having believed the stories about Sirius and for letting him rot in Azkaban for twelve years, but he was also ecstatic to have his best friend back. Ginny was just very empathetic with the two.

They had formulated a plan to capture Pettigrew. Sirius Black would hang around the grounds as a dog as usual, magically monitoring the exits of the castle (in case Wormtail should try to escape).

Lupin would use the Marauder's Map to locate and capture Wormtail. Upon capture, he would head instantly for Dumbledore's office, stopping only to send an owl to Sirius to invite him along.

Ginny, much to her dismay, was not allowed to help capture Wormtail. "He didn't hesitate to kill thirteen Muggles, Ginny," Lupin had reasoned. "He wouldn't hesitate to kill you too, if he faced being captured."

The down-side to their plan was that Ginny no longer had the Marauder's Map at her disposal. She had come to depend on it so much for avoiding Dementors that she found she could hardly sneak around without it at all (unless she wanted to risk fainting again by passing a Dementor on patrol).

Sirius had decided against letting Harry know the truth. He didn't want his godson to know him as a criminal. Meeting with Harry would be the first thing he would do when he was exonerated, but Pettigrew had to be caught first.

Unfortunately, Pettigrew proved elusive. Professor Lupin had frequently spotted him on the Marauder's Map, but he had never caught a glimpse of him. It seemed that Wormtail had a knack for appearing in another room the moment Lupin entered the one he had been occupying. Being so small, it was perhaps easier to blend in.

It took almost a half year to catch a glimpse of Wormtail. Harry, Ron and Hermione had just had their exam for History of Magic and were heading down to Hagrid's hut to provide him with some support to deal with Buckbeak's execution. Ginny had Transfiguration the next morning, but she decided to accompany the Trio anyway, rather than to study. Hagrid was her friend, too, after all.

They were nearly down the stairs when Hermione yelped,"Ron - look - Scabbers!"

Ginny watched with open eyes as Ron called for Scabbers, who slowly crawled towards Ron, climbed up his arm and settled in his robe pocket. "Where've you _been_?" Ron asked.

It took a moment for Ginny to compose herself. She bolted and ran as fast as she could towards Lupin's quarters. He wasn't there, but the Marauder's Map was. She grabbed a quill from one of the desk drawers and a stray bit of parchment to write a message telling him to find Ron as soon as possible. Next, she opened the window and called for Hedwig. After a few seconds, Hedwig showed up, grumpy to be woken at that ungodly hour.

"Here," Ginny said as she scribbled a note to Sirius, telling him that Ron had Scabbers. "Take this to Sirius Black as quickly as possible, please." Hedwig hooted in acknowledgement, grabbed the note in her beak and took off through the window.

Not losing her sense of urgency, Ginny hurried back down all the stairs to find Ron, Harry and Hermione. She arrived out in the grounds, just in time to see Ron from a distance as he was being pulled under the Whomping Willow by Padfoot. Harry and Hermione appeared out of nowhere and followed him.

Ginny entered the hole beneath the Whomping Willow, glad that it was still motionless, and followed the underground passageway into the Shrieking Shack.

***

Ginny felt very cold. The encounter with the massive crowd of Dementors had chilled her to the bone. She had stayed conscious just long enough to see Dementors forced to retreat by a large, silver stag Patronus.

She struggled to remember what had happened before that. She remembered entering the Shrieking Shack, she remembered Lupin joining them just after that. They had almost convinced Harry, Ron and Hermione of the truth. When Harry asked how she knew everything, she admitted having been in contact with Sirius for a long time.

At that point, Snape had appeared, taking off the Invisibility Cloak and immediately binding Sirius, Ginny, and Lupin with magical ropes. "They'll be happy enough to kiss you," he snarled at Sirius. To Lupin he directed one of his trademark sneers. "You'll be able to share James Potter's fate, that's what you wanted twelve years ago, wasn't it?" Pointing to Ginny, he gloated, "And you _finally_ get expelled!"

It had taken a Disarmament spell from Ron, Hermione and Harry to stop his ridiculous parade of prisoners. Scabbers had almost been able to escape, but Harry grabbed him by the tail just in time.

When Lupin cast the spell on the rat that turned him into the human he was born as, Harry was convinced. Lupin and Black were about to kill Pettigrew. To everyone's amazement, Harry stopped them. Instead, he expressed his wishes for Pettigrew to go to Azkaban.

They decided to head to Dumbledore's office immediately (which was where they presumed Fudge would also be, after witnessing Buckbeak's execution). However, something went wrong.

As soon as they were in the open, Lupin swore as he realized his monthly transformation was due. Sirius had to turn into a dog in order to overpower the werewolf. At that point, Pettigrew was able to escape.

And then the Dementors swooped in.

As Ginny remembered the Dementors, the mere thought of them made her feel very cold again.

_Where was she?_ Ginny wondered. It looked like the Hospital Wing, except the Hospital Wing was never this populated. _Hang on, _she thought, _I know who the other patients are. _Ron, Harry, Hermione were her fellow hospital guests.

She saw Harry stir and wake up. When their eyes met, he mumbled, "I'm so cold."

"I know," she mumbled. "Ask for some chocolate."

Upon seeing that two of her charges had woken up, Madam Pomfrey came bustling into the room, ranting about the carelessness of the Ministry to allow Dementors on school grounds, let alone in the castle. She immediately started hammering away on a large ball of chocolate and handed Harry and Ginny a piece each.

Dumbledore chose that moment to enter.

"Headmaster Dumbledore," Madam Pomfrey started her complaint, but Dumbledore cut across her.

"I'm sorry, Poppy, but this simply cannot wait. Could you please be so kind as to allow us some privacy?"

Madam Pomfrey didn't seem so kind at all when she retreated to her office and closed the door rather forcefully behind them.

"Professor," Harry gasped. "Sirius Black - he's innocent. You have to believe him! You can't let him get kissed. He didn't betray my parents to Voldemort. Peter Pettigrew - he framed Sirius and staged his own murder."

"Calm down, dear boy. I believe your story," Dumbledore said, the tone of his voice commanding calmness in every nerve of Harry's and Ginny's body.

"You do?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," confirmed the headmaster. "But unfortunately, Minister Fudge does not, and he is about to bring a Dementor up to perform the Kiss on Sirius Black in Professor Flitwick's office - which is on the third floor, sixth window from Ravenclaw tower."

"But you can't let him!" Harry yelled.

"I'm afraid there is nothing in my power I can do now," stated Dumbledore sadly. "What you need right now is _more time_. An extra three hours should do. It is now quarter to ten. In three minutes, I will lock you in. I will be exiting my office two minutes ago."

"Three minutes?" exclaimed Ginny. "We can't possibly do anything in that time!"

"No," said Harry, jumping out of his bed and walking towards Hermione's. "Sorry, Hermione," he mumbled before he took the Time Turner from her neck and brought it over to Ginny. "We're going back three hours - in time."

"Make sure you don't try to change the course of events that has already happened," Dumbledore warned. "That could have dramatic consequences."

***

Harry and Ginny were a bit overwhelmed at what they'd done. They'd freed Buckbeak - after Macnair, the executioner had seen him tied up, mind you. Harry had driven off some two-hundred Dementors with one single Patronus Charm. Then they'd ridden Buckbeak to the window of Flitwick's office and freed Sirius Black from there. Buckbeak then deposited them on the Astronomy tower, where they said their goodbyes to Sirius. Afterwards, they headed to the Hospital Wing and arrived five minutes early.

"D'you suppose he's already in there?" Harry asked Ginny, when they the door wouldn't budge.

"No, we're early," Ginny answered. "Wait, didn't Dumbledore say he'd be leaving his office? That's where we'd met him! I mean, that's where we're going to meet him!"

They ran towards Dumbledore's office, fearful of arriving too late. When they got to the spiral staircase, they came face to face with a patrolling Dementor, drawing a rattling breath. For Harry, drained after casting the Patronus that warded off all the Dementors by the lake, the effect was a lot worse than for Ginny: his legs gave way, and he fell to the floor.

Ginny spared no second in drawing her wand and calling, loudly, "Expecto Patronum!" A brilliant white horse erupted from her wand and caught the Dementor in mid-gallop and carried it beyond the corner with the next corridor.

As Ginny helped Harry up, the Gargoyle sprang aside and Dumbledore left the staircase. "What's going on here?"

"Ginny got rid of a Dementor," Harry summarized.

"Professor," Ginny said hurriedly. "We did it! We freed Buckbeak and Sirius. You were right - it was on the third floor, sixth window from Ravenclaw Tower."

"I see," said Dumbledore. "May I ask ... err ... how?"

"Don't ... don't you remember?" Ginny asked.

"Of course he doesn't remember," Harry said. "It hasn't occurred to him yet. Listen," Harry waited for Dumbledore to meet his eyes. "We went three hours back in time ... at your insistence."

"Indeed?" Dumbledore asked. "Then I presume I must send you again?" Harry and Ginny nodded. "And you are also in the Hospital Wing right now, correct?" Dumbledore queried, eliciting another pair of nods. "Then let's go there. I assume you will be able to travel through time by yourself?"

"Err," Harry eloquently stated. Didn't Dumbledore know of Hermione's Time Turner? "Yeah."

"Excellent. Anything else I must say?"

"If you hadn't told us we couldn't change the course of events that had already happened, we probably would have interfered," reasoned Ginny. "It was difficult to let Snape just take the Invisibility Cloak like that, for example"

"I can only imagine. There we are," Dumbledore said as they arrived before the closed doors of the Hospital Wing. A small tap from his wand opened the doors for him, and he entered. He paused to glance at Harry and Ginny with a twinkle in his eyes.

After a brief moment, the doors opened from the inside and Dumbledore let them in the Hospital Wing. "Quickly," Dumbledore said, "get in bed. I'm not sure how much longer Madam Pomfrey is going to stay away."

Ginny went directly to her bed, whereas Harry first put the Time Turner back around Hermione's neck and then crawled into his bed. True to Dumbledore's prediction, Madam Pomfrey showed up with some hot soup for the two of them.

No sooner had they started sipping their hot chicken soup, did they hear voices getting louder and louder.

"He must have Disapparated."

"No, you can't Apparate or Disapparate in Hogwarts castle or on the grounds. He had outside help!"

"But from who, Snape? You're not implying that the girl -"

"YES! THIS IS GINNY WEASLEY'S DOING!"

The Hospital Wing doors flew open as Snape entered, robes billowing behind him, and strode towards Ginny's bed. Fudge followed Snape, flanked by a pair of Aurors.

"Confess, Weasley!" Snape roared in Ginny's face. "What have you done?" When Ginny didn't respond Snape grabbed her shoulders and started shaking her.

A red spell impacted Snape in the chest. He rose in the air and flew a few feet backwards, crashing into the window that was, thankfully, shut.

"That's the second time you've used magic against me, Potter! I'll have you expelled for this!"

"Calm yourself, Severus," Dumbledore reprimanded. "You were manhandling a student. Mr Potter was right to protect her from your irrational actions."

"Irrational - IRRATIONAL? That woman freed Sirius Black, Dumbledore!"

"Even if that _is_ the case, it does not give you the authority to use force against students who may have broken all the school rules in the book, Severus! While you are under my employ, you will obey my rules!"

"Ah," said Fudge, "It is not a school rule that Ms Weasley broke, is it? She broke the law. Shacklebolt, Dawlish, arrest that girl!"

"Cornelius," said Dumbledore, "on what charge?"

"Charge? CHARGE? Dumbledore - SHE IS CONSPIRING WITH SIRIUS BLACK!"

"The lawbook," Dumbledore said, calmly as ever but radiating enormous quantities of power, "does not forbid 'conspiracy with Sirius Black'. You cannot arrest one of my students on a phony charge."

"How about this then: aid of a convicted criminal and refusal to relay information pertaining to said convict! Now will you let me arrest her?"

"Ah," said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling. "But for that, Sirius Black would have to be a convicted criminal." Fudge stared at Dumbledore, mouth wide open. "Sirius Black is not a convicted criminal because he was never convicted. In fact, he has never even had a trial."

"I ... what if that's rubbish?" Fudge asked.

"Then I trust," answered Dumbledore, "that you are not foolish enough to try to force a non-procedural and indeed, ungrounded, arrest under my nose."

Fudge opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, before he left hurriedly without saying another word. The two Aurors that flanked him silently followed him.

"That was scary," said Harry.

"Yes," agreed Dumbledore. "I'm afraid Fudge is not going to give in so easily. He is very ambitious."

***

The last couple of days of the school year were better in some ways, yet worse in others. Of course, the Dementors were gone and Harry and Ginny were getting their full night's sleep again. On the other hand, Harry's hope to live with Sirius had been crushed by the Ministry's refusal to acknowledge Sirius's innocence. If only Wormtail had not escaped.

It was on the train, though, that Harry's sadness evaporated when a small owl entered the compartment through the window. Ginny was glad to see how happy Sirius's letter made Harry.

Oh, the difference a letter could make.


End file.
